Embracing new media = time crunch

There, there now. Feel better having a fresh copy of Foodservice News in your hand? It’s been a while. Since December. Yes, you remember how that newsprint feels. Breathe in the smell of the ink, and feel better knowing that Foodservice News will continue bringing you that lovely smell of ink.

Which is more than many publications can say lately. The Detroit Free Press, a major daily newspaper, recently cut delivery of its hard-copy edition. It’s down to three days per week, and moved the “daily” part of their business model to the Web. Newspapers and magazines across the country are looking closely at their books—notably the Tribune Company and our own Star Tribune.

A steep decline in advertising revenue (among other reasons) has caused the strife, and the causes for that are myriad. It’s quite the conundrum to noodle when you have staked your career in media (particularly one that involves typing).

One can no longer easily define media. Not long ago, its forms were print, radio and TV/film. Technology and Internet booms have blurred the lines—for example, the Web has allowed radio and television stations to become print entities. The New York Times Web site is a prime example of hazy borders. The site is now one of the most visited in the world—it’s not just the day’s news from at home and abroad, it’s slide shows, video, podcasts, mobile alerts, blogs for every topic and—the true benefit of the Web—a massive archive.

Throwing further distortion are social networking sites, notably Facebook. Add “micro-blogging” sites such as Twitter, media sharing sites like Flickr (photos) and YouTube (video) and individuals can quickly become their own media entities with relatively small investment.

With all of the Internet’s possibilities comes one problem: How to make money using it. As successful as The Times and other print media have been absorbing the Internet’s technological advantage, print advertising still provides the vast bulk of revenue. Social media sites and online publications have, for the most part, not found profitability, but deep pockets keep funding them because that mirage is perpetually on the horizon, and those same pockets are haunted by the feeling (likely accurate) that if one steps out of the game, many opportunities will be missed and, at worst, death will come swiftly.

So what does this all mean for you, dear reader, the business owner, the restaurateur, or the advertiser?

Media is changing so much and so swiftly it’s difficult to decide where to place money and effort. During my time with Foodservice News, the easy majority of restaurateurs I’ve spoken to have said advertising their establishment in broad-brush magazines and newspapers is an expensive proposition that leads to few—or at least untrackable—results. What they have found, however, is targeted print advertising—neighborhood newspapers and special interest publications—is effective. (Not to toot our own horn, but Foodservice News is one of those special interest publications targeted at an audience, which is why we’re still a healthy—knock on wood—print publication.)

Further, many restaurateurs have created their own methods to reach out and generate all-important word-of-mouth. With Internet savvy, many more are becoming their own media entities. There’s the Web site, of course, which has (or should) become de rigeur, where menus and specials are advertised, with photos and any media attention they’ve attracted posted. Some restaurants attach blogs to the Web site to speak more directly to, and interact via the comments option, with visitors (one such restaurant is Corner Table in Minneapolis, where chef and owner Scott Pampuch posts frequently his thoughts and opinions on sustainable and locally produced foods, among other anecdotes).

More restaurateurs are also taking their advertising to social media, such as the aforementioned Facebook and MySpace. On my occasional reconnaissance missions through the Facebook universe, I find another local restaurant that has taken the plunge. (By the way, FSN has a page—become a fan!) It’s easy to do, it’s free, and it can serve as both a blog and visual, interactive center. A restaurant accumulates “fans,” and messages can easily be blasted out to them with the hope of filling seats. The restaurant Spasso in Minnetonka (featured in this issue) also has its OpenTable reservation system linked in through its Facebook page.

How effective is Facebook? Who’s to say? I’ve became a “fan” of several local restaurants’ Facebook pages and received notifications of events—an effective showing of direct marketing, but the hitch is you must have a Facebook account to play. Further, are all the fans really customers who are truly interested to know the Wednesday night special? Is it more effective than direct e-mailing? Perhaps that’s the subject for a future story in Foodservice News.

I think back to what Dennis Lombardi, the uber-restaurant researcher and consultant said during his keynote address at the FSN Restaurant Business Conference last fall. To paraphrase, if you’re not protecting your brand online, it might sink you—particularly if you’re a chain restaurant. He was speaking about malicious reviews on review sites like Yelp and throughout the blogosphere, but I think it could also mean keeping a unique presence in an increasingly crowded Web.

Worrying about what every shouter says on a blog, Twitter or Yelp can only cause sleep-deprived insanity. Besides, maintaining your business and menu standards should take care of much of that.

An Internet presence doesn’t have to be complicated. A Web site is a must-have for any restaurant these days (although there are a few defiant, successful joints out there), and an updated e-mail list through which to blast notices of menu changes and special events is a proven seat filler (see the story starting on the front page). And a page on Facebook couldn’t hurt. With those combinations, other options, such as video (cooking demos, anyone?) are available. Suddenly you’re a sort of media entity.

What is certain is while Internet advances have made it easier and cheaper for businesses to spread the word about their services and products, an increasing time commitment comes with it. Does a neighborhood joint that fills most of its seats from within a five-mile radius really need to spend the time?

Here’s a suggestion: There’s likely someone on your staff—a server, a cook—who can navigate this electronic universe effectively. They might even know a thing or two about putting a Web page together, and there’s so much free software floating in the Web universe, the monetary cost is truly minimal. Perhaps that person on your staff is looking for a project—look at it as a way to keep a good mind within the company. Let them have at it, and see what happens.


Ideas issue

If there’s a theme in this issue, it’s navigating the particular challenges ahead put upon the industry—as if it wasn’t hard enough when times were good. I spoke with a few restaurant owners about how they’re using e-mail to effectively fill seats in their restaurants, and Spasso in Minnetonka started out with a unique business plan that turns out to be a masterstroke when the economy began tanking. Jonathan Locke has some sensible advice, and Rebecca Lunna asks readers to contribute their success stories large and small to her for reporting.

And with all the hair pulling over the tanking economy, it’s still important not to fret too much. Get some sleep. Look at your business with an unbiased eye. Make adjustments where necessary, whether that means dropping that scallop dish that’s no longer worth its cost, or lunch service entirely. Control what you can actually control.